Gilbert Melendez Shows That Elbows Belong in MMA

Gilbert Melendez's training partner Nick Diaz has complained about the use of elbows on the ground in MMA. He may want to change his tune after watching Melendez use them to obliterate Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Melendez hurt Kawajiri early and dominated the fight from start to finish, but it was the viciously effective elbows that really finished the job.

Just in case you hadn't seen Jon Jones destroying people with elbows, Melendez's elbows showed just how effective they can be in MMA.

The argument against elbows in MMA usually comes down to the cuts that they can cause.

Elbows can occasionally lead to fights ending early due to cuts.

Elbow critics like Diaz and Bas Rutten have complained about the use of elbows saying that elbows don't knock out fighters, but just cause cuts and prevent a lot of good technical grappling.

Well, those critics have clearly been proven wrong.

In the present day, we know that elbows don't just cause cuts. They're extremely effective weapons.

Moreover, if your so-callled "more technical grappling" can be disrupted by elbows, then it's not really all that technical.

Thankfully, Melendez and Jon Jones have been destroying people with elbows and not just cutting them in Kenny Florian-esque fashion.

Elbows belong in MMA, and thanks to fighters like Melendez, they're here to stay.